Charles C. Hong, MD, PhD

B.S. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Life Sciences

MD, PhD (Genetics), Yale University

Residency: Internal Medicine, Yale-New Haven Hospital

Fellowship: Cardiovascular Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital

Fellowship: Chemical Biology, Harvard Medical School

Dr. Charles (Chaz) Hong is a physician-scientist whose research functions at the intersection of developmental biology, chemical biology, stem cell biology, and cardiovascular medicine. Dr. Hong’s work includes innovative chemical biologic approaches to study embryonic development as well as implementation of the induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology to better understand human cardiomyocyte biology and pathobiology at the cellular level.

His research has made important contributions to the emerging field of chemical genetics through the discovery of chemical modulators of several key developmental pathways, including the first small molecule inhibitor of bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and identification of phosphodiesterase-4 as a pharmacological target for hedgehog signal inhibition. Dr. Hong’s research has revealed both novel biological insights and new therapeutic opportunities. For example, his BMP inhibitor technology has been licensed toward clinical development of breakthrough therapies for devastating diseases.  In addition, Dr. Hong edited one of the first books focused on the role of chemical biology in stem cell and regenerative medicine, and a book covering the latest methods and protocols in chemical biology. His research has also made important contributions toward the utilization of human iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CMs) as an in vitro model for the study of human cardiomyocyte physiology. His clinical expertise is in cardiovascular genetics.  

Prior to joining the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he was on faculty at Harvard Medical School and Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where he co-directed Center for Inherited Heart Disease and chaired Accelerating Drug Repositioning/Repurposing Incubator.

Lab Website: http://www.medschool.umaryland.edu/hong-lab/

General Cardiology Cardiovascular Genetics Chemical Biology Drug Discovery

Books, Senior Editor

• Chemical Biology: Methods and Protocols  Hempel E , Williams H, Hong C, editors. Humana Press; 2015 Jan 1.
• Chemical Biology in Regenerative Medicine: Bridging Stem Cells and Future Therapies  Hong C, Ao A, Hao J, editors. Wiley; 2014 Aug 1.

Selected Publications

• Jiramongkolchai P, Owens P, Hong CC. Emerging roles of the bone morphogenetic protein pathway in cancer: potential therapeutic target for kinase inhibition. Biochemical Society transactions. 2016 Aug 15;44(4). 1117-34. PMID: 27528760 [PubMed].
• Tadokoro T, Gao X, Hong CC, Hotten D, Hogan BL. BMP signaling and cellular dynamics during regeneration of airway epithelium from basal progenitors. Development (Cambridge, England). 2016 Jan 25. PMID: 26811382 [PubMed].
• Feaster TK, Cadar AG, Wang L, Williams CH, Chun YW, Hempel J, Bloodworth N, Merryman WD, Lim CC, Wu JC, Knollmann BC, Hong CC. Matrigel Mattress: A Method for the Generation of Single Contracting Human-Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiomyocytes. Circulation research. 2015 Oct 1. PMID: 26429802 [PubMed].
• Owens P, Pickup MW, Novitskiy SV, Giltnane JM, Gorska AE, Hopkins CR, Hong* CC, Moses* HL. Inhibition of BMP signaling suppresses metastasis in mammary cancer. Oncogene. *Co-senior authors; 2015 May 7;34(19). 2437-49. PMID: 24998846 [PubMed].
• Williams CH, Hempel JE, Hao J, Frist AY, Williams MM, Fleming JT, Sulikowski GA, Cooper MK, Chiang C, Hong CC. An in vivo chemical genetic screen identifies phosphodiesterase 4 as a pharmacological target for hedgehog signaling inhibition. Cell reports. 2015 Apr 7;11(1). 43-50. PMID: 25818300 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC4394042. NIHMSID: NIHMS669677.
• Hao J, Ao A, Zhou L, Murphy CK, Frist AY, Keel JJ, Thorne CA, Kim K, Lee E, Hong CC. Selective small molecule targeting β-catenin function discovered by in vivo chemical genetic screen. Cell reports. 2013 Sep 12;4(5). 898-904. PMID: 24012757 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC3923627. NIHMSID: NIHMS514783.
• Saeed O, Otsuka F, Polavarapu R, Karmali V, Weiss D, Davis T, Rostad B, Pachura K, Adams L, Elliott J, Taylor WR, Narula J, Kolodgie F, Virmani R, Hong CC, Finn AV. Pharmacological suppression of hepcidin increases macrophage cholesterol efflux and reduces foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology. 2012 Feb;32(2). 299-307. PMID: 22095982 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC3262074. NIHMSID: NIHMS343415
• Wang H, Hao J, Hong CC. Cardiac induction of embryonic stem cells by a small molecule inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. ACS chemical biology. 2011 Feb 18;6(2). 192-7. PMID: 21077691 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC3076310.
• Wiley DM, Kim JD, Hao J, Hong CC, Bautch VL, Jin SW. Distinct signalling pathways regulate sprouting angiogenesis from the dorsal aorta and the axial vein. Nature cell biology. 2011 Jun;13(6). 686-92. PMID: 21572418 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC3107371.
• Ao A, Hao J, Hong CC. Regenerative chemical biology: current challenges and future potential. Chemistry & biology. 2011 Apr 22;18(4). 413-24. PMID: 21513877 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC3082739.
• Hao J, Ho JN, Lewis JA, Karim KA, Daniels RN, Gentry PR, Hopkins CR, Lindsley CW, Hong CC. In vivo structure-activity relationship study of dorsomorphin analogues identifies selective VEGF and BMP inhibitors. ACS chemical biology. 2010 Feb 19;5(2). 245-53. PMID: 20020776 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC2825290. NIHMSID: NIHMS169068.
• Yu PB, Deng DY, Lai CS, Hong CC, Cuny GD, Bouxsein ML, Hong DW, McManus PM, Katagiri T, Sachidanandan C, Kamiya N, Fukuda T, Mishina Y, Peterson RT, Bloch KD. BMP type I receptor inhibition reduces heterotopic [corrected] ossification. Nature medicine. 2008 Dec;14(12). 1363-9. PMID: 19029982 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC2846458. NIHMSID: NIHMS187710.
• Hao J, Daleo MA, Murphy CK, Yu PB, Ho JN, Hu J, Peterson RT, Hatzopoulos AK, Hong CC. Dorsomorphin, a selective small molecule inhibitor of BMP signaling, promotes cardiomyogenesis in embryonic stem cells.PloS one. 3(8). e2904. PMID: 18682835 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC2483414.
• Yu PB, Hong CC, Sachidanandan C, Babitt JL, Deng DY, Hoyng SA, Lin HY, Bloch KD, Peterson RT. Dorsomorphin inhibits BMP signals required for embryogenesis and iron metabolism. Nature chemical biology. 2008 Jan;4(1). 33-41. PMID: 18026094 [PubMed]. PMCID: PMC2727650. NIHMSID: NIHMS44146.